Five Ways Sarah Did Not Return to the Labyrinth
by The Amazing Aliano
Summary: ...and one way she did. Does pretty much what it says on the tin.


Five Ways Sarah Did Not Return to the Labyrinth

(And One Way She Did)

I.

Toby read his sister's favourite book; he didn't understand most of it, but he got the important parts about goblins and adventures.

As his big sister, Sarah told him what to do a lot. She always told him he couldn't do this, or he shouldn't do that, and really, being only five, it was an obvious solution. After half an hour of her telling him exactly why the dog shouldn't be painted bright blue he'd had enough.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away – right now!"

After that it was a blur, and the only things he really remembered were an owl and glitter, the vague impression of taking what he thought was a paperweight and a grin that made him shiver.

No matter how often his parents and the police asked him, that was all he would ever remember.

II.

Jareth sighed as he watched the girl walk around his throne room. "A hole, you say?"

"Yup." Once Sarah had gotten over her initial panic – which seemed to necessitate hitting everyone and everything that came near her – she was actually being quite calm about the whole thing.

"Just in the floor?" He asked.

"Well, in the hedge. I was looking for Merlin's squeaky toy," she explained, throwing a look over her shoulder.

"What possessed you to go through it?" He said, glaring in her direction.

She shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

III.

The first time Sarah came home from work to find the Goblin King standing in her living room, she had been surprised. She considered being scared or angry, but really, she was too tired. When it kept on happening, she indulged him in conversation and began to look forward to it.

Eventually, she had to ask. "Not that this isn't nice and all, but why do you keep coming to visit me?"

He smiled and took her hand. "I wanted to tell you that I love you."

Well. That was straightforward. "Okay, and then?"

"Then I was planning on marrying you."

"How about we try living together first," she suggested, raising a brow. He pursed his lips and nodded. She laughed lightly and said, "Oh, and I love you too."

IV.

Sarah sneered down at the king. Worthless. But there was still that glint in his eye, a resistance that intrigued her. Though she had won the battle, rightfully claiming the Labyrinth as her own, still he defied her.

"The war is over, Goblin King," she said, disdainfully using his title. "I have returned and taken the Underground. It is mine, as is everything in it." She bent to him, battered and bruised and still glaring up at her. "Including you."

His eyes narrowed, his hatred shining through the bruises and cuts.

She laughed and said, "You didn't really think I would leave just like that." She lowered herself to his eye-level, mocking him with a small smile. "Did you?"

V.

Sarah glared at Jareth, who simply smirked at her in return. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" She demanded.

He kept that mysterious smile up, not saying a word as he rolled the crystal about his hand.

"I mean, come on, he's a kid, he loses something like one a month," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You must have known I'd find out, that I'd follow the thing."

Jareth raised a brow and looked highly amused.

And suddenly it clicked for Sarah. Just why Jareth had sent a goblin to be Toby's tooth fairy.

"Oh," she said, feeling rather stupid. As he advanced on her, seductive smile in place, she sighed. "_Oh_."

VI.

Sarah had grown a lot from her time in the Labyrinth. She learned to be mature and responsible, no longer a teenager hanging on to her childhood but a young woman ready to become an adult.

As it turned out, being an adult was not as exciting as she thought it would be. Being her own woman came with a hefty bill and an incredibly dull job so that she could keep her decrepit little flat. By the time she was twenty-five, she had had enough.

She found out her old book, re-read it carefully and called the king to her. After much glaring on his part, he was willing to listen.

"I was just wondering; does your offer still stand?"

* * *

A/N: Well, it's been a while. As I'm sure you're all aware… I know, I know, it's been forever since I updated 'Married Life,' and I promise I am working on it. Real life kind of got in the way (curse you, real life!!). This was mostly an exercise to get me back into writing. They're supposed to be about a hundred words each, but, ah, mostly they're over. I tried, I really did, but it's so hard! Which was kind of the point.

Anyway, as the title says, these are five ways in which Sarah did not return to the Labyrinth and one way in which she did. According to me, anyway. I'll let you decide which you think is the real way.

And finally, please let me know what you think. Even if that happens to be that I should give up writing now and put my plan for world domination into action (first Shropshire, then the world!).


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